Currently, 93 hospitals in Pennsylvania deliver babies and provide care to new mothers. Ninety-five have neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), which are for newborns who need specialized treatment. Babies who need to go to the NICU often are admitted just 24 hours after birth because they are born prematurely, have complications during their delivery, or show signs of a health issue.
Almost 4 million babies are born each day in America, and the medical costs associated with childbirth are difficult to afford for many of their families. Medical Assistance, Pennsylvania’s Medicaid health insurance program, funds nearly half of all births each year in Pennsylvania. Medical Assistance is the most important source of financing for the cost of care provided to infants born prematurely or with medical problems.
Since 2000, 49 hospital obstetric units and many NICUs have closed across the state, putting strain on providers to meet patient need. Although our state’s birth rate has decreased in recent years, the percentage of low-birth-weight babies, who need more specialized care, has not.
In fact, during 2015, more than 2,600 newborns were hospitalized in Pennsylvania for substance-related problems, including opioid withdrawal syndrome. And in the midst of the current opioid crisis, those numbers are likely to rise.
Because every expectant mother and baby in Pennsylvania should have access to the best care during and after childbirth, it is crucial that we ensure patients’ access to highly educated and specially trained obstetric, prenatal, NICU, and postpartum health care professionals to invest in the health of generations to come.